Exquisite Corpse
Here I have devoted a blog specifically to transcriptions of the results of 'games' of Exquisite Corpse.
What is Exquisite Corpse? Simple. One person starts with a blank sheet of paper and writes on the top a question in the form "What is ... ?" where '...' is whatever they want. They then fold the paper back so that this question cannot be seen. The paper is then passed to the next person (usually I only play with two people) and they write first a statement, or answer, in the form "It is ... ." and after that another question: "What is ... ?" They then fold the paper over again, and it continues until the page is filled and the last person writes only an answer. In this manner, a dialogue is constructed wherein questions are posed and answered, except that until the paper is unfurled each party does not know the questions they were answering, or how their questions were answered.
A 'good' game of Exquisite Corpse can take many forms...sometimes it's funny because it is nonsensical ("What is life?/It is peanuts.") but it can also be eerie in the amount of sense that it makes. There are also just bad games for whatever reason, the results of which are nonsensical and jilted, and it is clear that both parties had decidedly different ideas over how the game is to be played. That is to say that the purpose is not to only play with people with whom you have simpatico, although it can serve as an acid test for such a relationship, but that playing the game is a good way of examining the way two people interact non-verbally through writing. The two people have to inhabit the same space....you couldn't play over the telephone or internet, for instance, and have the same effect. I've found that it works really well in classes or other situations where the same external forces are being interpreted and processed by both parties....it sort of acts as a catalyst for the sympathetic question/answer pairs that make the game worthwhile.
All that being said, the real blog starts with a Corpse I did with Gretchen. Unless otherwise stated, I am a participant in Corpses posted here and the subject line will be the name(s) of the other person/people involved. I will always indicate who starts. Unlike the layout on the physical page, I condense the whole thing into question-answer couplets, but just remember that the question and answer were written by different people! Comments are more than welcome, and I myself will comment on every Corpse with a little 'analysis'.
I know I'm silly, but this kind of stuff makes me happy.....well, enjoy!
What is Exquisite Corpse? Simple. One person starts with a blank sheet of paper and writes on the top a question in the form "What is ... ?" where '...' is whatever they want. They then fold the paper back so that this question cannot be seen. The paper is then passed to the next person (usually I only play with two people) and they write first a statement, or answer, in the form "It is ... ." and after that another question: "What is ... ?" They then fold the paper over again, and it continues until the page is filled and the last person writes only an answer. In this manner, a dialogue is constructed wherein questions are posed and answered, except that until the paper is unfurled each party does not know the questions they were answering, or how their questions were answered.
A 'good' game of Exquisite Corpse can take many forms...sometimes it's funny because it is nonsensical ("What is life?/It is peanuts.") but it can also be eerie in the amount of sense that it makes. There are also just bad games for whatever reason, the results of which are nonsensical and jilted, and it is clear that both parties had decidedly different ideas over how the game is to be played. That is to say that the purpose is not to only play with people with whom you have simpatico, although it can serve as an acid test for such a relationship, but that playing the game is a good way of examining the way two people interact non-verbally through writing. The two people have to inhabit the same space....you couldn't play over the telephone or internet, for instance, and have the same effect. I've found that it works really well in classes or other situations where the same external forces are being interpreted and processed by both parties....it sort of acts as a catalyst for the sympathetic question/answer pairs that make the game worthwhile.
All that being said, the real blog starts with a Corpse I did with Gretchen. Unless otherwise stated, I am a participant in Corpses posted here and the subject line will be the name(s) of the other person/people involved. I will always indicate who starts. Unlike the layout on the physical page, I condense the whole thing into question-answer couplets, but just remember that the question and answer were written by different people! Comments are more than welcome, and I myself will comment on every Corpse with a little 'analysis'.
I know I'm silly, but this kind of stuff makes me happy.....well, enjoy!
posted by Robert Bolyard at 2:01 PM
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